Coin intercepting mechanism for coin operated machines



4 Dec. 5, 1933. A. w. BARNARD COIN INTERCEPTING MECHANISM FOR COINOPERATED MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l OPENING To RETURNYOUR com INVENTOR. @Mw 860mm) 2%.; 1w. bum;

A TTORNE Y.

Dec. 5, 1933. w BARNARD 1,937,500

COIN INTERCEPTING MECHANISM FOR COIN OPERATED MACHINES Filed D90. 30,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 48 64; u y 8 I m 4 I; 48 H 48 /74 Q 55 22 2? 78 6680 88 i.3 0 l .6 4 E912? .H/ H g F (4& 62 l 2% 63 86 4 89 9 5 80 65 i 62V 78 86 664 80 F 60 l 1/ [I 1/ 28 m 2 E910 INVENTOR .4 TTORNE Y.

Patented Dec. 5, 1933 COIN INTERCEPTING liKECHANISM FOR COIN OPERATEDMACHINES Arthur W. Barnard, Sarasota, Fla., asslgnor to Colonial ScaleCompany, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationDecember 30, 1930 Serial No. 505,558

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a coin intercepting mechanism for coinoperated machines and is herein illustrated by its application to a coinoperated weighing scale.

One of the important objects of the invention the provision of a coinintercepting mechanism which may be applied to a coin operated machineto permit the person depositing the coin, by the exercise of a certainamount of skill, to secure its return after it has performed itsfunction of opcrating the machine.

This feature while calling for the exercise of skill also introduceswhat appears to be an element of chance and thereby tends to stimulatethe interest of the public in the machine and to increase its use.

Another object of the invention is to combine, with the interceptivemechanism, means, adapted to be operated by the user from the exteriorof the machine, for ejecting the coin from the interceptive mechanism sothat the amount of force applied to the ejecting means controls thecourse of the coin thereafter and determines whether or not the coin isreturned to the user.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a constructionin which the interceptive and ejecting mechanisms are exposed to view sothat the course pursued by the coin can be readily seen.

A further object is the provision of a suitable background simulating aportion of a golf course, tennis court or other game in which may bearranged a plurality of lanes or passages through which the coin, afterejection from the intercepllng mechanism, may travel either to a coinreceptacle in the machine or to an open coin rcceptacle on the exteriorof the machine.

ther objects are the provision of simple and cincient interceptive andejecting mechanisms which are capable of application to any coinoperated machine and which are durable and require neither adjustmentsnor repairs.

Other objects of the invention will be more specifically so; forth anddescribed hereinafter. In following description, I will cover, for thepurpose illustrating the invention and its mode of operation, one formof intcrceptive and ejecting mechanisms with a background simulating aportion of a golf course, applied to a coin operated weighing scale ofthe general construction shown in United States Letters Patent No.1,201,917, issued to me October 17, 1916, but it is to be understoodthat my invention is not to be limited to the specific forms ofmechanisms shown and described and that my invention is susceptible ofapplication generally to coin operated machines.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment and oneapplication of my invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the lowerpart of the casing of a coin operated scale shown in the United StatesLetters Patent just referred to, showing a device constructed andadapted to be operated in accordance with my invention applied thereto;Fig. 2 is a front elevation on an enlargod scale of a chute with oneform of coin interccptive mechanism; Fig. 3 is a bottom end elevationthereof looking upwardly in Fig. 2; Figa 4 is top elevation thereoflooking downwardly in Fig. 2; 5 is a rear elevation of the lower end ofthe main body portion of the coin chute; Fig. 6 a bottom view of thesame looking upwardly in Fig. 5; Fig. 'l is a side elevation, lookingfrom left to right in Fig. 2, of the bottom end of the chute and theinterceptive mechanism showing the interceptive member in inoperativeposition; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the same member in operativeposition holding a coin in ejecting position; Fig. 5' is a transversesectionalview of the front portion of the scale casing and so backgroundpanel on line 9-9 in Figure 1; Fig.

10 is a similar view on line 10-40 in Figure 1; Figs. 11 and 12 arevertical sectional views on lines 11-11 and 12-12 respectively in Figure1 looking from right to left and Fig. 13 is a side 35 elevation of thecoin ejecting member looking from left to right in Figure 1 but on alarger scale.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings there shown one form ofinterceptive mechanism comprising a chute is. having a flared upper endor mouth 12 for receiving the coin when it drops after having performedits function in the coin operated machine, the chute having its lowerend form d. to stop and retain the coin and to hold it in stingposition. The chute may be of any suitable length and may be straight orcurved dependent, of course. upon the relation of the point at which itreceives the coin to the point at which re coin is intercepted. Asshown, the chute fines a curved main body portion or back designated as10 having side flanges 14 and a front plate or covering 16 attached tothe side by pins or screws 18, the chute chamber being of dimensionswhich permit the coin d to pass freely down edgewise. Preferably, platecovering 16 is made of thin celluloid or other transparent material topermit the coin be seen in its downward travel.

The lower end of the chute 10 is formed to stop and hold the coin onedge by means of an end flange 22 (Fig. 2) to which is affixed by screws24 a retaining strip 26 (Figs. 7 and 8) of celluloid or other suitablematerial which overlaps the upper edge of the end flange 22 and holdsthe lower edge of the coin on said end flange. The transparent plate 16terminates at a point above the bottom end of the chute so that itslower end overlaps the top edge of the coin 28 (Fig. 2) sufficiently toprevent the coin from tilting forwardly. The side flanges 14 of thechute are cut away between the end flange 22 and a transverse line justabove the top edge of the coin when it is supported on said end flangein order to permit the coin to be ejected laterally from the bottom endof the chute.

In order to hold the coin against lateral rolling or bouncing when itstrikes the end flange on its downward travel, I provide a detent orpawl 30 loosely and pivotally mounted on a pin 32 between two ears 34.formed on the back face of the lower end of the body portion of thechute. The detent 30 is preferably of right-angled form, one arm beingmuch shorter than the other, and is so mounted that the long armoperates as a weight to hold the short arm forward through an opening 36into the path of the coin 28 so that the coin, when it apporaches thebottom of the chute, engages the end of the short arm and moves itslightly back throwing up the long arm. Fig. 7 shows the normal forwardposition of the detent when not engaging the coin and Fig. 3 theposition of the detent when it engages the coin to hold it against theoverlapping edges of the lower end of the plate 16 and the retainingstrip 26. It is important that the pressure exerted by the detent on thecoin should be just suflicient to prevent lateral movement of the coinwhen it strikes the end flange but should not be sufficient to cause thelower end of the coin to be deflected outwardly and thereby thrown outof the front of the chute when the coin strikes the detent in itsdownward passage.

For accomplishing the lateral ejection of the coin from the chute, anysuitable form of striking member may be provided and one such form isshown in the drawings comprising an arm or lever 40, simulating in thepresent case a golf club, which is fixed upon a pin 42 loosely mountedin a downwardly projecting arm portion 44 of a cross-bar 46. Thestriking member is mounted adjacent the lower end of the chute 10 sothat when it is swung the lower or striking end of the member will sweepacross the lower end of the chute striking the coin on one side andejecting it laterally from the chute. Since the lower end of thestriking member is formed to simulate a golf club, the back face of thelower end of the chute is provided with two ribs 4.8 which are providedwith cut out portions 50 to afford clearance space for the head of thestriking member in its sweep transversely of the chute, as shown inFigs. 7 and 8, these ribs 48 serving also to hold the end flange 22 andits retaining member in position.

In Fig. l of the drawings, there is shown the application of myinvention to a coin operated weighing scale of the construction shown inthe United States Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to, the lowerportion only of the scale casing being shown. In this view designatesthe casing having its front side in the form of a door frame 62 securedto one side of the casing by hinges 65 (Fig. 10) and to the other sidethereof by screw pins 63. A suitable lock (not shown) may be providedfor locking the door in closed position. The door frame is filled inwith a clear glass panel 64 fastened thereto, behind which is fastenedagainst the inner face of the glass a background panel 66 having raisedand depressed portions, the latter portions forming areas and passagesthrough which a coin may travel. The glass and background panels aresecured to the door frame at the top and bottom by any suitable meanssuch as angle brackets 55 (Figs. 9 and 10).

The background panel may be made of any suitable material or in anysuitable manner but, as shown, is made in two plies or layers fastenedor glued together, one layer being cut out to form open areas andpassages between the other layer and the glass panel. In order to affordroom for the coin chute l0 and striking member 40 the upper right handcorner of the background panel is cut out entirely on the arc of acircle and bevelled in the area 95 between the two concentric circularlines shown in Fig. 1 and this cut out space is closed by a plate 94,the circular edge of which may be glued to the circular edge portion ofthe background panel on its inner face (Fig. 11). The coin chute ismounted with its upper portion behind the plate 94 in which is anopening 5'? through which the lower portion of the chute projects intoview between the plate 94 and glass panel 64. For holding the chutefixed in position, it may be provided with laterally extending wings 58(Fig. 1) adapted to be fastened to the inner face of the plate 94.

The striking member 40 is also mounted in the space between the plate 94and the glass panel 64 but is adapted to be operated from outside thecasing. The pin 42, to which the striking member is affixed, isrotatably mounted at its inner end in the plate 94 and extends outwardlythrough the glass panel and has its outer end extended through thedepending arm 44 of the cross-bar 46 and provided with a finger piece orknob 63 (Fig. 13) whereby the pin may be rotated to cause the strikingmember to eject the coin. A counterweight 67 simulating a golf ballserves to hold the striking member in a retracted position ready for theejecting stroke. The cross-bar 46 is mounted on the outer face of thedoor, being secured to the frame thereof at each end by a screw 56.

As stated before, the background panel has on its outer face raised anddepressed portions, the latter forming areas and passages for the travelof the ejected coin through various paths. These various portions of thebackground panel are painted or printed to simulate various features ofa golf course and one such arrangement is shown in Fig. l of thedrawings. Surrounding the chute l0 and striking member is a depressedarea '70 of considerable extent giving opportunity for the coin whenejected from the chute to travel in almost any direction. To the left,as viewed in Fig. 1, the panel is provided with three raised portions'72, 74 and '76 respectively, separated from each other and from thelarger elevated portions 78 and 80 by four depressed portions orpassages 81, 82, 83 and 84. These four passages are each of a widthsufiicient to permit the passage of a coin therethrough and they connectthe large area '70 with an irregularly curved passage 86 leadingdownwardly to a coin receptacle 87 which opens out through the glasspanel 64. A coin travelling down said passage 86 falls into the saidcoin receptacle 87 and may be removed therefrom by the person operatingthe machine. The three raised portions '72, 74

lad

and 76 simulate bunkers and the portions '78 and 80 are each painted orprinted to represent a wood or forest with an illustration of a golfclubhouse in the upper end of portion 78.

Below the large depressed area is arranged a raised portion 88 oftriangular form separated from the raised portion by two lanes 89 andrespectively leading downwardly to an area 92 at the bottom of which isan opening 91 through which a coin may drop into a coin receptaclewithin the machine. The portion 88 may be painted or printed torepresent a bunker and the area 92 to simulate a pond. A legend Fouropenings to return your coin may be printed at a convenient point in thepassage 86 to call attention to the fact that the operator gets his coinback if, on ejection from the chute, it passes through any one of thefour passages, 81, 82, 83 and 84. On the portion 80 may be printed thequestion Can you drive over the lake? because if the coin drops into thepond it is lost to the operator and falls into the coin box within themachine.

The depressed area '70 may be illustrated with figures of players andthese with the other objects on the background panel may be painted orreproduced in colors to add to the general attractiveness of the paneland the scale.

In the operation of the scale of my patent, when a coin is deposited inthe machine, it drops into a rotary member, depresses that me .iber andexposes the reading on the dial of the scale and any subsequent movementof the dial at the end of the weighing operation, due to the personstepping oil the scale or to other causes, rotates the rotary coinholding member and discharges the coin.

In the application of the present invention to a scale of that characteras hereinbefore described, the chute 10 is so positioned that the coin,when discharged by the rotary member, drops into the flared mouth 12 ofthe chute, travels down the chute and is held in ejecting position atthe bottom end of the chute by the detent, all in full view of theperson operating the scale. The operator then, by means of the knob orfinger piece 68, turns the striking member 40, in the form of a golfclub, to strike the coin edgewise and to eject it laterally from theinterceptive mechanism. The course pursued by the coin will depend uponthe force of the stroke and. therefore, it may move in one of manydifferent directions, some of which are indicated by the arrows inFigure 1. If the coin travels through any one of the passages 81, 82, 83or at then it drops down the passage 86 to the open coin box 87 and isrecovered by the operator. It, however, it strikes one of the bunkers'72, '74 or 76, it will be deflected back and will fall either throughlane 89 or 90 into the pond and opening 91 and will be ret ined by themachine.

It will be apparent that this application of my invention imparts to theuse of a scale all the fascination of a game in which the skill of theoperator may play a large part in enabling him to reap the benefit of afree use of the scale. The interest thus aroused tends to stimulate andincrease the use of a device of this iaracter.

Although I have shown my invention as ap plied to a Weighing scale witha background simulating a golf course, it will be apparent that theinvention can, with slight changes which would be apparent to oneskilled in the art, be applied to other types of coin operated machineswith backgrounds simulating other games in order to stimulate theinterest of the user. to increase the use of the machine and at the sametime to afford the user the amusement and mental relaxation derived fromplaying a game.

It is to be understood that the foregoing form and application of myinvention is for purposes of illustration only since it may be embodiedin various other forms of construction applicable to coin operatedmachines generally all within the purview of the following claims.

i /hat I claim s:

1. In a coin controlled machine, the combination of chute forintercepting the coin after it has performed its function in themachine, the lower end of said chute being formed to partially exposesaid coin for permitting its lateral ejectment therefrom, means,operable from outside the machine, for ejecting said coin from saidchute, a coin-receptacle accessible from outside the machine and aplurality of lanes or passa es within the machine through one or ii :21;coin travel alter ejection, one of said passages leading to said coinreceptacle.

In a coin controlled machine, the combination of a chute forintercepting the coin after it has sr ornied its i lower or d said ebeing formed to partially expose said coin for perm: .ting its lateralejectinent therefrom, means, operable from outside machine, for eject?1.: said coin laterally from said mole within the machine, rec xtcleaccessible from outside -60 lanes or passages within either one of whichthe coin lion, one of said lanes leading to s id ist mentioned coinreceptacle and the other lea-d to second coin receptacle.

3. A con rolled machine having provision intercepting the coin after ithas performed cti i in said machine, a gravity operated or hold 1 oin onedge in ejecting position and meal operable from without the machine.for ejeno perlnitt or. s id chute in a lw-eral direction. (5. In a coincontrolled machine, the so hlnaion of a coin chute having its lower endformed or holding a coin. on and provicl i with. a de opening permittingt coin to ejected creiro: it operated detent tiff the hack face in aidit i not to be e cted and means, for ejecting from without the mash acoin. con rolled weighing scale, the oi mes for intercepting the coinperformed its lunction in the scale,

g a chute having its lower mix edge and with a transverse passageexposing the coin to the action of a striking member, means, operablefrom outside the scale, for ejecting said coin from said interceptivemeans, coin receptacle accessible from without said scale and aplurality of passages through any one of which the coin may travel afterejection, one of said passages leading to coin receptacle.

8. In a operated weighing scale, the combination of a chute providedwith an end fiar for intercepting the coin after it has performed itsfunction in said scale, said chute being provided with a transverseopening permitting the passage of coin ej cting means, an inaccessiblecoin receptacle within said scale, a second coin receptacle accessiblefrom outside said scale, a coin passage leading to each of saidreceptacles from said interccptive means and means, operable fromoutside scale, for ejecting said coin from said intereeptive means intoone or the other of said passages.

9. In a coin operated weighing scale, the combination of a chuteprovided with an end fla 3 for intercepting the coin after it hasoperated the scale, said chute being provided with a transverse openingpermitting the passage of coin ejecting means,- a detent for holding thecoin in an edgewise position, a coin receptacle within said scale, asecond coin receptacle accessible from the outside of said scale, coinpassage leading from said intercepting means to each of said coinreceptacles and means, operable from outside said scale, for ejectingsaid coin from said interceptive means into one or the other of saidpassages.

10. In a coin controlled machine, the combination of a chute providedwith an end flange for intercepting the coin after it has performed itsfunction in the machine, said chute being provided with a transverseopening permtting the passage of coin ejecting means, means, operablefrom outside the machine, for ejecting said coin from said interceptivemeans. a coin receptacle accessible from outside the machine, abackground panel simulating a portion of a golf course and beingprovided with a plurality of lanes or passages through any one of whichthe coin may travel after ejection, one of said passages leading to saidcoin receptacle.

11.1n a coin controlled machine, a casing, a chute provided with an endflange for intercepting the coin after it has performed its function inthe machine, said chute being provided with a transverse openingpermitting the passage of coin ejecting means, means, operable fromoutside the machine, for ejecting sa d coin from said interceptivemeans, a coin receptacle accessible from outside the machine, abackground panel simulating a portion of a golf course and provided witha plurality of lanes or passages through any one of which the coin maytravel after ejection, one of said passages leading to said coinreceptacle, and a glass panel in the front of said casing for exposingto view said background panel.

12. In a coin controlled machine, a casing, a chute provided with an endflange for intercepting the coin after it has performed its function inthe machine, said chute being provided with a transverse openingpermitting the passage of coin ejecting means, means, operable fromoutside the machine, for ejecting said coin from said interceptivemeans, a coin receptacle accessible from outside the machine, abackground panel simulating a portion of a golf course and provided witha plurality of lanes or passages through any one of which the coin maytravel after ejection. one of said passages leading to said coinreceptacle, and a glass panel in the front of said casing for exposingto view said interccptive and ejecting means and said background panel.

13. In a coin controlled machine, the combination of a chute for thepassage of a coin, said chute having its lower end provided with aflange for stopping said coin and with a cut out portion above saidflange partially exposing said coin and permitting said coin to beejected laterally from said chute, a gravity operated detent pivotallymounted on the lower end of said chute for engaging the back face ofsaid coin to hold it on edge on said flange and a striking membersimulating a golf club and operable from the exterior of said machinefor ejecting said coin laterally from said chute.

14. In a coin controlled machine, a chute having its lower end providedwith a flange for stopping a coin passing down said chute and with atransverse cut out portion above said flange, the end of said chutebelow and on both sides being surrounded by a clear and unobstructedspace, a gravity operated detent pivotally mounted on said chute forholding a stopped coin on edge and a striking member operable from theexterior of said machine and having a head adapted to be swung throughsaid out out portion of said chute for ejecting said coin laterallytherefrom.

15. In a coin controlled machine, a chute having its lower end providedwith a flange for stopping a coin passing clown said chute and with atransverse cut out portion above said flange, the end of said chutebelow and on both sides being surrounded by a clear and unobstructedspace, a gravty operated detent pivotally mounted on said chute forholding a stopped coin on edge, an inaccessible coin receptacle withinsaid machine, a second coin receptacle accessible from outside saidmachine, a coin passage leading from said clear space to each of saidreceptacles and a striking member operable from the exterior of saidmachine and having a head adapted to be swung through said out outportion of said chute for ejecting said coin laterally therefrom intoone or the other of said passages.

16. In a coin controlled machine, an elongated coin chute having apassage permitting the coin to travel edgew se therethrough, said chutehaving a transverse flange below the lower end or said passage forsupporting said coin on edge in.

partially emerged position therefrom, said flange being supported by apair of offset ribs extending downwardly from the back of said chute andsaid ribs being recessed in their front edges to permit the passagetransversely of said chute of a striking member for ejecting said coinlaterally from said chute.

ARTHUR W. BARNARD.

